{"id":66231,"date":"2025-05-13T12:30:41","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T16:30:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/?p=66231"},"modified":"2025-05-29T14:55:41","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T18:55:41","slug":"foster-care-highlight-coming-together-in-kinship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/cnh\/resources\/news-library\/foster-care-highlight-coming-together-in-kinship\/","title":{"rendered":"Foster Care Highlight: Coming Together in Kinship"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-68660 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Desi-and-Christopher.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"674\" height=\"530\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW224886730 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW224886730 BCX0\">&#8220;<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW224886730 BCX0\">M<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW224886730 BCX0\">ore than three years before<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW224886730 BCX0\"> Zion<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW224886730 BCX0\">C<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW224886730 BCX0\">hristopher<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW224886730 BCX0\">was born, I had a recurring dream that someone would entrust us with their baby boy,\u201d <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW224886730 BCX0\">S<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW224886730 BCX0\">halonda<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW224886730 BCX0\">, a<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW224886730 BCX0\">n adoptive parent with<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW224886730 BCX0\">Firefly<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW224886730 BCX0\"> said<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW224886730 BCX0\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW201665630 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW201665630 BCX0\">S<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW201665630 BCX0\">halonda<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW201665630 BCX0\"> and J<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW201665630 BCX0\">a<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW201665630 BCX0\">mes<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW201665630 BCX0\">have been married for 25 years and <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW201665630 BCX0\">have parented 6 children<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW201665630 BCX0\"> together<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW201665630 BCX0\">.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW201665630 BCX0\"> Four of th<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW201665630 BCX0\">ose<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW201665630 BCX0\"> children <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW201665630 BCX0\">being<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW201665630 BCX0\"> biological, and their two youngest <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW201665630 BCX0\">joining<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW201665630 BCX0\"> the family through kinship care.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW201665630 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Kinship care <\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">involves placing a child with a relative\u2014such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other family member\u2014when the child&#8217;s birth parents are unable to provide proper care.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW257867396 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW257867396 BCX0\">As they celebrate their <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW257867396 BCX0\">milestone<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW257867396 BCX0\"> anniversary this year, the couple reflects on the past five years and the journey they have taken to formally adopt their children,<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW257867396 BCX0\"> Zion<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW257867396 BCX0\">Christopher<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW257867396 BCX0\"> and Desi<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW257867396 BCX0\">rae.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW257867396 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW259446387 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259446387 BCX0\">When they <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259446387 BCX0\">first <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259446387 BCX0\">received a call from the Department of Child Services (DCS), they <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259446387 BCX0\">quickly <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259446387 BCX0\">agreed to ensure <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259446387 BCX0\">the siblings <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259446387 BCX0\">w<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259446387 BCX0\">ould remain together. For <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259446387 BCX0\">S<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259446387 BCX0\">halonda<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259446387 BCX0\">, it felt like a step toward fulfilling her earlier dreams, despite understanding the various challenges ahead<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259446387 BCX0\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW259446387 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW176755025 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW176755025 BCX0\">&#8220;Navigating kinship care, adoption, and foster care is certainly not for the faint of heart<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW176755025 BCX0\">,<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW176755025 BCX0\">&#8220;<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW176755025 BCX0\"> she said.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW176755025 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-66233 size-medium alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-9.12.39\u202fAM-251x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"251\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-9.12.39\u202fAM-251x300.png 251w, https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-9.12.39\u202fAM-856x1024.png 856w, https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-9.12.39\u202fAM-768x919.png 768w, https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-9.12.39\u202fAM-1284x1536.png 1284w, https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-9.12.39\u202fAM-10x12.png 10w, https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-9.12.39\u202fAM-1080x1292.png 1080w, https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-9.12.39\u202fAM-1280x1531.png 1280w, https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-9.12.39\u202fAM-980x1172.png 980w, https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-9.12.39\u202fAM-480x574.png 480w, https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-12-at-9.12.39\u202fAM.png 1560w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 251px) 100vw, 251px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Shalonda shares a moment with her daughter, Desirae (left).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW124093422 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW124093422 BCX0\">Despite these difficulties, the family recognizes that their children might have faced a much different and more uncertain future <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW124093422 BCX0\">without external intervention<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW124093422 BCX0\"> as ma<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW124093422 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW124093422 BCX0\">ny family members were <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW124093422 BCX0\">frequently<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW124093422 BCX0\"> involved in the prison system and struggled with substance abuse.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW124093422 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">They felt the importance of breaking that cycle in their family.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The process required consistent effort and perseverance, but Shalonda and James noted that their older children had shown maturity and a sense of responsibility, offering support and encouragement throughout the journey.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cYou know, when we were thinking about throwing in the towel the kids, our older kids really stepped up, because they just grew attached to them as well,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Their biological children, who have already developed strong bonds with their kinship siblings and adapted well to the new family dynamics.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0&#8220;The resilience of our family comes from holding on together\u2014faith, community support, and a dedicated team made this kinship placement possible,&#8221; Shalonda emphasized.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">In their downtime, this family likes to spend time relaxing and watching movies and then discussing them together. These simple moments help everyone feel closer. They visit the children&#8217;s museum and go bowling, spend time with family and go to church together, savoring all of the quality time they can get.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;More than three years before Zion Christopher was born, I had a recurring dream that someone would entrust us with their baby boy,\u201d Shalonda, an adoptive parent with Firefly said.\u00a0 Shalonda and James have been married for 25 years and have parented 6 children together. Four of those children being biological, and their two youngest [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[41,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-awareness-months","category-impact-stories"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Foster Care Highlight: Coming Together in Kinship - Firefly Children and Family Alliance<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fireflyin.org\/cnh\/resources\/news-library\/foster-care-highlight-coming-together-in-kinship\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Foster Care Highlight: Coming Together in Kinship - Firefly Children and Family Alliance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&#8220;More than three years before Zion Christopher was born, I had a recurring dream that someone would entrust us with their baby boy,\u201d Shalonda, an adoptive parent with Firefly said.\u00a0 Shalonda and James have been married for 25 years and have parented 6 children together. 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